I can't think of an episode of TNG, or any episode from Trek, that was actually scary. "Night Terrors" was probably as close as they got to making a real sci-fi thriller story. I suppose ENT's "Impulse" could be seen as a zombie-like thriller.

I can't think of an episode of TNG, or any episode from Trek, that was actually scary. "Night Terrors" was probably as close as they got to making a real sci-fi thriller story. I suppose ENT's "Impulse" could be seen as a zombie-like thriller.

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Night Terrors definitely had it's scaryish moments, for me the thing with Identity Crisis was more how much it creeped me out rather than being scary per se (I don't generally get scared by stuff anyway tbh, most horror films do nothing for me, but I get creeped out by things!)

My Scary episode was actually Eye of the Beholder. I think I had nightmares over the whole reveal scene for a week and Pierce's "You know what you have to do" was freaking disturbing. I also get a little scared over Dark Page, especially angry Lwaxana Troi.

In fact, I created a thread about this kind of stuff a couple of months back - I could place a link to it in this post, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do that or not. Either way, that thread kinda trailed off after a while, but it could be interesting if it was revived...

Anyway...

For me, it is the morgue scene in Night Terrors, and that episode as a whole, which seals the deal. A group of cadavers in death shrouds sitting up on their slabs might sound scary, but considering they don't do anything but that, it shouldn't be all too terrifying...except it is, and from my observations it's precisely because they don't do anything other than sit up that it's so horribly creepy. Less, in so many cases, is more.

And of course, the whole premise of the episode - that is, being trapped aboard your own ship, which cannot move due to a mysterious alien phenomenon, with only a ghost ship full of people who went insane and brutally murdered each other for company, and no apparent way to escape, while also slowly beginning to lose your minds and become increasingly fearful of something truly unknown...I.E Worf's eerie conversation with Troi where he, the most powerful warrior and a Klingon, is terrified of "something out there which we cannot fight" (which, of course, isn't even real, and so the actual danger is of losing control of one's mind)...it really milks the whole "space can be frightening" thing brilliantly and horrifically.

I also agree with the OP about Identity Crisis. In terms of its scariness, creepiness and eerie, uncomfortable atmosphere, I think that episode is underrated. In some ways it's even worse than something like Alien, because anyone who's infected with that parasite will end up as nothing more than a creepy animal, wondering around in the dark on a desolate planet...forever.

Other than that, while Schisms is obviously scary, the episode "Remember Me" is quite terrifying in a psychological sense. Just watch it, imagine yourself in Doctor Crusher's shoes, and you'll see what I mean.

As an adult, Skin of Evil was kind of campy, but not without its charms. As a 6 year old, the episode scared the crap out of me. A demonic black oil monster (nevermind that it could barely move in humanoid form) with a laundry list:

-mentally torture Troi
-suck in Riker
-impervious to phaser fire (this is a big deal to six year olds. Phasers are cool).
-could move around in oil slick form
-could block transporter beams

Killing Yar was almost like the least of those worries; it was very much a display of his power, but I knew someone always dies during these things. But the moment that sold me was when Riker's face popped up in the oil slick and then sunk back down in despair.

Inspired by the working on TNG thread I rewatched Q Who? and have to say that still creeps me out. I think it's that whole alien thing, they don't care who you are, aren't driven by any passions or whatever, they can't be appealed or distracted. I know later Borg episodes contradict that in some ways but in this first meeting anyway they are pretty terrifying.